Sale sharks finally beat their bogey and landed only their second Guinness Premiership victory in seven straight attempts when third-placed Gloucester were beaten with a last-gasp penalty.

In the opening exchanges, third-placed Gloucester were in command and went ahead when fly-half Ryan Lamb booted a straightforward 22 metre penalty between the posts.

And it got worse when flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe was sin-binned inside his own 22 for Lamb to add a second penalty.

But that sparked 14-man Sale into action at last and saw fly-half David Blair boot a 24-metre penalty.

Blair missed a chance to draw level before Sebastian Chabal hit wing Iain Balshaw into touch on halfway and Lamb's third penalty restored the six-point gap.

Gloucester inflicted a hammer blow on the home side right on half-time when Balshaw booted the ball towards the Sale in-goal area. Full-back Daniel Larrechea fumbled and James Simpson-Daniel was right there to touch down. Lamb's conversion put Gloucester 16-3 up at the interval.

Prop Christian Califano was binned minutes after entering the fray for coming into a ruck on the wrong side. Sale powered to the visitors' line, replacement scrum-half Sililo Martens fed Richard Wigglesworth who sent centre Chris Bell in from 10 metres, Wigglesworth adding the conversion.

Lamb booted another penalty to put his team nine points to the good, but the Sharks' replacement prop Sebastien Bruno emerged from a pile of bodies with the ball and the conversion brought fresh hope.

And that victory came when Gloucester went offside in injury time for Wigglesworth to hold land a penalty from 22 metres.